A kennel operator accused of neglecting his dogs stood trial Monday in a high-profile cruelty case that his attorney said was concocted by state animal-welfare officials looking for publicity, the AP reports.
Derbe "Skip" Eckhart, owner and operator of Almost Heaven Kennel outside Allentown, where Teddy Bean and more than 200 dogs were rescued from last June, was charged following a 2008 raid by agents from the Pennsylvania SPCA and state Bureau of Dog Law Enforcement. The agents found dogs living in their own waste, with matted fur and skin ailments, and lacking access to food and water, prosecutors allege.
Eckhart "turned a blind eye to his responsibilities to animals that were in his care," Lehigh County prosecutor Jay Jenkins said in his opening statement.
Defense attorney Jeff Conrad denied that Eckhart ran a dirty kennel, telling jurors that his client loves animals and takes good care of them. He said Eckhart was the victim of a witch hunt.
"Those folks right there, with the Department of Agriculture and with the SPCA, they love money and headlines," Conrad declared in a booming voice, his finger pointed at prosecution witnesses.
He said Eckhart "got caught in the middle of a very ugly public relations campaign going on in Pennsylvania" against large commercial dog breeders.
Eckhart is charged with eight counts of animal cruelty and five counts of running a kennel without a license. Prosecutors say he continued operating the kennel even after the state denied him a 2009 license.
The case emerged from citizen complaints and an undercover operation mounted by the Pennsylvania Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals in 2008. Humane officers and confidential informants purchased dogs from Almost Heaven that were covered in feces and urine and suffered from respiratory infections, kennel cough, and parasite infestation, according to court papers.
State dog-law officials have used the Almost Heaven case as an example of how they are cracking down on unscrupulous kennel operators.
Testimony begins Tuesday. The trial could last about a week.
Teddy Bean was rescued from Almost Heaven Kennels at the very end of June. This picture of him was taken days later, July 3, when I brought him home. Click here to see more recent pictures of him as a happy, healthy dog that's put the so-called "notorious" puppy mill behind him.